Page 20 of End It All

"That's what this guy said it was," I answered slowly, suddenly lost. "What is it?"

"Here." He nodded down the street. "Go to the end of that second block, make a right, and then a left on the next street. You'll find it. It is pretty good therapy."

I stared at the man in confusion until he shooed me off. Shaking my head, I started walking.This city is so fucking strange.I needed to get a phone, some headphones, a place to live, some more clothes. The laundry list of my needs was growing. At least the haze I was in kept some of the stress away.

When I reached the building, it was tucked away behind others. I glanced up and froze. Silver Dreams. The neon was a dead giveaway that this wasn't some therapist's office. I groaned.

"Really? A fucking strip club? How basic are you?"

I stepped inside and looked around. What I expected was half-dressed women, thumpy music, and noise. Instead it was quiet, soft piano music playing as I wandered around the entryway. Before I could get too far, an older woman walked up to me, a smile on her face.

"Welcome to Silver Dreams." She eyed me from top to bottom and plastered on a fake smile. "What can I do for you?"

That old irritation at being poor resurfaced with a vengeance. One glance was all it took for her to decide that I wasn't good enough for this place. My nerves were already shredded, I didn't need more of this shit.

"Never mind," I muttered.

She reached out and took my arm. "No need to be so upset. Why are you here?" she asked.

I stared at her and finally shrugged. "I don't know. Quincy told me it was a place to get therapy. But it looks more like a strip club..." I trailed off.

The woman chuckled. "You're not far off. Come with me."

I stayed where I was. "I'm not sure I want to go see naked women dancing. I'm starving."

"You think I can't hear that stomach from here?" she asked.

I wrapped an arm around my stomach.Damn, is it really that loud? So embarrassing.

"Sorry," I muttered.

She waved a hand. "Don't be! You can call me Grand Myah," she said as she led me back toward a double set of doors. "So, you know Quincy Adachi? What's your name?"

"Blake," I muttered.

Her smile grew. "Blake. Are you good friends with Quincy?"

I frowned. "Not really, the guy's an asshole. But he knows my father."

"And your father is?"

"You're asking a lot of questions," I said wearily.

She stopped and turned to face me. "Of course. Wouldn't you be careful about who you allow in your home? Besides, you hungry or not?"

As soon as she said it, my stomach growled all over again and I laid a hand over it. Okay, I was really starving. Smoking probably wasn't the smartest thing I could have done when I was already running on empty.

"Um, Cesare. Cesare Vitale," I answered.

The woman's eyes filled with recognition before she quickly played it cool again. "Ah, that makes sense. You favor him."

I sneered. "I'm sure I look nothing like that man."

Grand Myah patted my hand. "Sure, dear. This way." She led me through the double doors and closed them behind her again. I heard the automatic lock engage before I was taken further inside. There was music playing and the smell of cigarette smoke and food greeted me. We ended up at a bar and she touched a seat. "You're twenty-one, right?"

"Yeah. Twenty-two," I said.

"Good enough. Darcy, get him something to eat, something really good, okay?" She glanced at me. "If you want to take one of our girls or guys upstairs, you're free to."